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The Race Relations Act @ 50 Conference Where Were You? The Race Relations Act @ 50 conference Where were you? IYIOLA SOLANKE 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, I had interviewed academics, A British Academy Conference on ‘The Race Relations Act politicians, lawyers and activists. I discovered that the @ 50’ was held on 9-10 July 2015. The conference was legal regulation of racial discrimination was envisaged convened by Dr Iyiola Solanke of the University of Leeds as a key bridge from the colonial to the post-colonial and and Mr Patrick Maddams of the Honourable Society of the war to post-war periods. The International Convention Inner Temple. on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) was the first international law of its type, and played a key role in nudging resistant national legislators he conference could easily have gone so very wrong. towards domestic anti-racial discrimination law. I also On Monday 6 July 2015, one of the speakers sent me discovered that, in the case of Britain, the influence of Ta message about the planned London Underground other jurisdictions was as important as internal right strike: she wondered whether she could make it. On wing violence – racist politics in Smethwick (Peter Tuesday 8th the strike was confirmed: a session chair Griffiths was elected using the campaign slogan of withdrew. On Wednesday evening, after a superb pre- ‘If you want a N***** for a neighbour vote Liberal or conference dinner at Inner Temple, buses were too full Labour’) illustrated the urgency, while the Civil Rights at 11pm to take any more passengers, and I started to Act in 1964 in the USA provided crucial guidance on the wonder how many delegates, let alone speakers, would design of the RRA 65. Finally, I concluded that the RRA make it. At 7.15am on Thursday morning, when I boarded 65 would have been impossible without the existence of a packed bus that crawled through traffic-jammed roads, committed activists and ‘cause lawyers’ – lawyers who I was prepared to speak to an empty room. By 10am look beyond doctrinal texts to think about the impact of my fears had dissipated. Amazingly, most speakers and law on society. I wanted to bring all these facets together delegates arrived punctually; some had left home earlier in an event that reflected upon the origins, the successes than me to arrive on time. Their determination to be and the failures of British anti-racial discrimination law. there indicates the importance of the conference. In practical terms, organisation began in February 2014, when together with the Inner Temple I drew up an application to the British Academy Conference Beginnings programme. The British Academy chose the proposal as one of six conferences to be hosted in 2015. We I first started to think about the 50th anniversary of the envisaged an interdisciplinary and international Race Relations Act 1965 (RRA 65) in 2005. That year, rostrum of speakers, for which my previous activities I was awarded a doctorate from the London School of stood me in good stead: interdisciplinary scholarship, Economics for my socio-legal historical study on the research and academic events have brought me into evolution of anti-racial discrimination law in Britain, contact with a huge range of talented people in many Germany and the European Union.1 The study had taken fields and countries. The conference line-up was me to the National Archives in Kew, the National Library amazing: we had two full days of conversation on race and German Archives in Berlin, the European Parliament between the fields of legal practice, criminology, history, in Brussels, and the United Nations Library in New York. sociology, psychology, media and politics in the UK, As well as poring over historical documents from the USA, Hawaii, Sweden, Finland and Germany.2 Delegates were as diverse, coming from additional places such as 1. Iyiola Solanke, Making Anti-racial Discrimination Law: A Comparative History of Social Action and Anti-racial Discrimination Law (London, Switzerland and Australia. To be there was therefore to Routledge, 2009). savour an international intellectual feast! 20 21 Review 26 aw.indd 20 06/08/2015 09:21 The Race Relations Act @ 50 conference Recognition Figure 1 This silkscreen print, Anger (2008), by As a Black British woman I have come to think of the Michael Craig-Martin, Race Relations Act almost as a soundtrack to my life. has been on display Without the norms that it (to some extent successfully) in the British Academy’s auditorium in recent introduced into British society, my life would not have years. been the same. That is not to say that everyday racism has been eradicated (Ama Biney, Shirley Tate and Rita Chadha illustrated eloquently that this was not the pleased to see the faces of new friends from near and case in general, in higher education institutions or in afar, as well as old friends and colleagues, such as Judge government), but to say that at least here in Britain there Stephen Keevash, Professors Diamond Ashiagbor, Aileen is official recognition that racism is a problem. This McColgan and Colm O’Cinneide, Councillors Paul recognition is not to be taken for granted, especially when Abbey and Momodou Jallow (each recently elected in compared to Germany where, as Cengiz Barskanmaz Finland and Sweden respectively), Claude Moraes, Louise explained, the problem with race is denied to the extent Whitfield and Michael Bates. Anger may have been that there is a movement to remove the word from the written (literally) in bold letters on the wall (Figure 1), German constitution. It is as if politicians have publicly but contrary to popular stereotypes about black women given up on the campaign for racial equality and decided and men, there was nothing but friendship and that, as it is too hard a nut to crack, there is no need to curiousity in the room. acknowledge it. If for no other reason, this is why Black Britons should celebrate the RRA 1965. It was therefore a huge privilege to hear from the woman More to say who was a leading figure in lobbying for the RRA 1965. Dame Jocelyn Barrow’s life is littered with ‘firsts’. She Aside from the fact that I was busy ensuring that all ran was the first black woman in teacher training in Britain, to plan, it is difficult to reflect objectively upon the two and it was she who founded the Campaign Against days. Comments from participants affirm that it was a Racial Discrimination (CARD) in 1965 to persuade the huge success, that the speakers were all fantastic, and that government to prohibit racial discrimination legally: she all present learnt something about race, law and society described it as her mission. I was very moved when Joseph from a different perspective. Some also commented that Harker, Assistant Comments Editor at the Guardian, gave it was refreshing to see such heterogeneity at the British a personal and heartfelt thanks to her for making his life Academy and at the pre-conference dinner generously and his work possible. He spoke for every black person sponsored by the Inner Temple. A common regret was in the room. It is clear that without her work, we would that we had only two days – our conversations seemed have no Act to celebrate, and Britain would be a very to be just beginning when we had to stop! The more we different place for its black citizens. Yet much literature talked, the more there was to say. I therefore laughed when does not mention her – like many a female pioneer, a few days later a colleague asked if there was anything she has been overlooked in the archives of history. Her left to discuss. There remains not only much to say, but presence at the conference was thanks to Sir Geoffrey much to do – the Race Relations Act is also a call for race- Bindman, who worked with Dame Jocelyn in CARD and related action. As racial lines harden in battles across subsequently became the first legal advisor for the Race the globe for public space and resources – whether in Relations Board – he encouraged me to find her. It was relation to policing, immigration, employment, housing well worth the effort. or education – there is an urgent need for development of international and interdisciplinary alliances that can lobby effectively for racial justice. Friends Given the continued difficulties in securing funding for race projects, both the British Academy and Inner It was also a very special moment when – as they say in Temple are to be highly commended for supporting this the USA – I ‘met my bibliography’. Critical race theory landmark event. It commemorated a key moment in pervades my work, and it was a joy to meet Professors British legal history, a moment worthy of the question Charles Lawrence, Mari Matsuda and Kumea Shorter ‘Where were you on 8 December 1965?’ Perhaps, how- Gooden, each incisive, poetic and elegant in their work ever, the more relevant question is: where will you be on and writing. I cite them regularly and was thrilled to 8 December 2015? Why not join us at Leeds University bring their ideas to a wider audience. I sensed that the School of Law for a legal panel reflecting upon this audience lapped up their words. However, I suspect that groundbreaking piece of British legal history and its con- it was also an eye-opening experience for them: while we sequences? For example, without the Race Relations Act Europeans know a lot about race and racism in America, 1965 there would possibly not be an Equality Act today the converse is not true – they may have been surprised securing rights for women, religious minorities, the (and dismayed) to learn about the similarities between differently abled, LGBTQU individuals, and workers of the UK, Europe and USA.
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